Twenty-Second Session of
the Preparatory Commission
concludes

PI/2004/09

The Twenty-Second Session of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Took place from 22 to 24 June 2004, concluding a day ahead of schedule with the adoption of the Final Report. The Session was chaired by Ambassador Yukio Takasu of Japan, and 88 States Signatories participated. The League of Arab States attended as an observer.

Mr Hoffmann, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission, reported on progress in the implementation of the verification regime and on administrative, legal and coordination matters. He informed delegates that 130 stations and four radionuclide laboratories are participating in the first phase of a system-wide performance test, the first to be carried out by the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS). Eighty-three stations and four laboratories out of the 337 International Monitoring System (IMS) facilities have now been certified. Legal arrangements between Member States and the Commission are in place for 322 IMS facilities in 81 countries.

Member States welcomed the signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) by Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Sudan and the ratifications by Bahrain, Belize, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles and the Sudan since the last session of the Commission. Tunisia announced the completion of their internal ratification process. Support was also expressed for the future work of Special Representative Ambassador Jaap Ramaker of the Netherlands, who will promote the entry into force of the Treaty. Debate during the Twenty-Second Session focused on modalities for the appointment of a future Executive Secretary, the review of the PTS organizational structure by an external review team, and budgetary issues. The Commission decided to include Timor Leste in the South East Asia, the Pacific and the Far East geographical region, for the purpose of Preparatory Commission activities.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty bans any nuclear weapon test explosion in any environment. Drafted at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, and adopted by the General Assembly on 10 September 1996, the Treaty was opened for signature on 24 September 1996 at the United Nations headquarters in New York. To date, it has been signed by 172 States and ratified by 114. It will enter into force when it has been ratified by all 44 States listed in Annex 2 to the Treaty. Thirty-two of these States have so far deposited their instruments of ratification.